i made a variation of this lasagna and it was amazing! it was the best lasagna my husband and i have ever had! we used anna nanni's bolognese recipe and threw in some mozzarella with the parmigiano reggiano throughout the layers. i also infused the milk with some garlic. the depth of flavor in this lasagna is unrivaled. completely worth the 5.5 hrs it took to make it!
Anna Nanni's Baked Spinach Lasagne
Credit: André Baranowski
(Lasagne Verdi al Forno)
SERVES 6
For a truly authentic lasagne see our Spinach Pasta Gallery for an illustrated, step-by-step guide to making the pasta called for in this dish.
1 lb. fresh spinach (not stemmed)
2 eggs
2 1⁄2 cups plus 3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cups milk
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
4 cups ragł alla bolognese, preferably Anna Nanni's
1 1⁄2 cups finely grated parmigiano-reggiano
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add spinach; cook until tender, 4–5 minutes. Drain. Squeeze liquid from spinach; chop very finely. Wrap spinach in a towel; squeeze to dry completely (you should have 3⁄4 cup).
2. Make the pasta: Combine spinach, eggs, and 1 tbsp. water in a bowl; mix with a fork. Mound 2 1⁄2 cups flour on a work surface; create a wide well in center with your hands. Sprinkle 1 tsp. salt over flour. Pour spinach mixture into well and, using a fork, begin to slowly incorporate flour from well into spinach mixture, using a circular motion, to make a stiff dough. Knead dough, adding a little flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; let rest for 30 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 6 pieces; cover all but 1 piece with a towel. Using your hands, flatten the piece of dough into a rectangle. Pass dough through widest setting of a hand-cranked pasta roller. Fold dough into thirds to create another rectangle; pass dough through widest setting again, feeding open edge through first; fold into thirds again and roll twice through same setting. Decrease setting one notch; roll pasta through to make a thinner pasta sheet. Lower setting again; feed pasta sheet through roller. Repeat through each setting until very thin, about 1⁄16", stopping at the second-to-last setting. Halve pasta sheet crosswise and transfer to a parchment paper–lined sheet tray; dust lightly with flour. Repeat above steps with remaining dough pieces, layering sheets between pieces of floured parchment paper.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add roughly a quarter of the pasta sheets, stir gently, and cook until just al dente, 2–3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove pasta sheets and lay flat on a damp towel without overlapping; cover with another damp towel. Repeat with remaining pasta.
5. Make the besciamella sauce: Heat 3 tbsp. butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in remaining flour and cook, whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble, about 3 minutes. While whisking, add milk in a steady stream. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until sauce thickens, 10–15 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper and set besciamella aside.
6. Assemble the lasagne: Heat oven to 450°. Spread 1 cup ragł over bottom of a 2-quart baking dish, then cover evenly with 2 sheets of pasta, cutting to fit. Top with 3⁄4 cup ragł, spread with 1⁄4 cup besciamella, then sprinkle with 1⁄4 cup cheese. Starting with another layer of pasta, repeat layering process 3 more times. Top with another pasta layer (don't trim edges), remaining besciamella, and cheese; dot with remaining butter. (Reserve any remaining pasta for another use.) Bake for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350°. Continue baking until bubbly, 15–20 minutes more. Let cool slightly before serving.
Ratings & Reviews (6)
Agree with previous reviewer, simply amazing!! Very time consuming, definitely a Sunday meal where you can take all day to prepare it. Started around 2:30pm and had dinner at around 8:30pm. Omitted the spinach in the pasta and added fresh mozzarella cheese as well in the layers. MUST TRY!!
Followed recipie to the letter. It was so light and so delicious. My only variation was in the bolognese...I used a mixture of pork, beef and veal. This recipie was so incredible it stimulated me to get a pasta press. The think I loved about it most was the lack of mozzarella and ricotta used in most other recipies. A definite treat!
This lasagna is worth all the time that it takes! I have made many lasagnas over the years but this is by far the best. I now use Anna"s bolognese whenever I want a great meat sauce.
Expected fireworks. it's good.
This is the best lasagna I have ever made! The fresh pasta is the best part of it-We did not precook the pasta just used it as it came off the rollers-The meat sauce was amazing and the bechmel was wonderful! You do not miss the normal cheeses I just used some mozzarella along with the parmigiana regginaro cheese but we ate this up-There were no leftovers-This would be $24 a plate in NYC restaurants
Anna Nanni's Baked Spinach Lasagne
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